I am honored to be considered as a candidate for President of
Division 51. As President I would prioritize accomplishing two goals. First,
there is a clear need for growth in our membership. We are the
leading
organization in psychology devoted to clinical and research work
on men
and masculinity and we must continue to reach out to individuals
and
organizations who will diversify our membership and facilitate
continued
realization of our mission. Second, we need to find creative means
for
drawing on the strengths of both the clinical and research interests
represented in Division 51. As leaders in the psychology of men
and
masculinity we cannot afford to fall into the perennial schism
between
research and practice. Our ability to enhance membership and influence
policy at local and national levels will be enhanced by bridging
our
considerable expertise in both areas.

I believe that these two goals are consistent with the qualifications
I
would bring to the presidency. I have already begun to focus on
enhancing membership in Division 51 both locally and nationally.
As an
Associate Professor in the Clinical Doctoral program at Clark University
I have trained numerous graduate and undergraduate students with
interests in the psychology of men and masculinity; their work
is
visible at our annual conference and in our division journal. At
a
national level, I recently led the development of a Special Interest
Group on Men's Mental and Physical Health in the Association for
Cognitive and Behavioral Therapies (ABCT), an international organization
with over 4500 members. This interest group is composed of students,
practitioners, and researchers focusing on a wide range of clinical
issues including PTSD, Substance Abuse, Violence, and others. We
now
have over twenty members, many of whom either are or will become
members
of Division 51 of APA.

In addition to my work in men and masculinity I have a longstanding
interest in the relationships between clinical practice and research.
Between 1997 and 2002 my research group was funded by the National
Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) to form partnerships with
practitioners in Central Massachusetts to evaluate the effectiveness
of
evidence-based treatment for anxiety disorders in a "real-world"
setting. Our current work on masculinity and men's help-seeking
behavior is also funded by NIMH and is focused on developing brief
community-relevant interventions to reduce stigma and facilitate
men's
use of mental health services. In the context of this work we have
published several articles and chapters on methods for drawing
on the
strengths of both practitioners and researchers to enhance the
quality
of mental health care.

I thank the members of Division 51 for considering my candidacy.

Christopher Kilmartin

I am honored, flattered, and humble to be considered for the presidency
of Division 51. My priority as President would be to (continue
to) put the Division on the map. The Psychology of Men and Masculinity
has come of age, and we need to inform the mainstream of Psychology
that we have something to offer to virtually every traditional
subfield in the discipline. Too often, gender issues are at the
margins of scientific analysis, and we would all benefit from placing
them at the center of inquiry when indicated.

A large part of what gave rise to the birth of gender psychology
was the realization that gender roles are sometimes limiting and
damaging. My position is that the negative aspects of traditional
masculinity harm women and men, in that order. We must move the
division forward by better addressing social justice issues: heterosexism,
gender-based violence, racism, economic inequality, and sexism.
Doing so will better balance our attention to the special problems
of men with a commitment to acknowledging heterosexual White men’s
power as-a-group and working to address quality of life issues
for everyone. Privilege is a central feature of the psychology
of men and masculinity.

A few words about my background: I am a Professor of Psychology
at The University of Mary Washington, author of several books on
men and masculinity.
In 2007, I will be the Fulbright Distinguished Chair in Gender
Studies at the University of Klagenfurt, Austria. I have been involved
in men’s studies since my graduate school days in the mid-1980s
and look forward to the opportunity to serve in an organization
in which I am a proud member.

Secretary

Chen Z. Oren, Ph.D.

I am honored to be considered for the position of secretary for
Div 51. As a relative newcomer to this division, I have been struck
with the sense of friendship, integrity, vulnerability, and honesty
that I have found within SPSMM. I have had the good fortune of
attending the past two winter retreats, and each time return home
with a stronger sense of purpose and commitment to the significant
issues we discuss.

I am core faculty in the Clinical Psychology doctoral program
at Phillips Graduate Institute where I am finding relevance in
looking at both men’s and women’s issues throughout my classes,
particularly Gender and Sex Roles, Diversity, etc. As one of only
two male faculty members, I am able to bring a new perspective
to this setting. I find deep meaning in being able to expand future
professionals’ awareness of gender issues in particular and men’s
issues specifically. I am the doctoral project advisor for a student
who is proposing research looking at new fathers’ affective experiences.
Other students have become aware of my interest in men’s issues
and now I am being sought out by students (predominantly male)
who would like to pursue research in this area. I also maintain
a part-time private practice where I work primarily with men, but
also with women, couples and student athletes.

In summary, I am pleased to be running for the position of secretary
and to have this opportunity to increase my involvement with Div
51.

David S. Shepard, Ph.D.

It’s an honor to be asked to run for reelection as Secretary of
Division 51. My just-completed first term was both enjoyable and
an invaluable learning experience. The pleasure was in serving
the Division, participating in Board decision-making, and in having
a voice in the conversation around the key issues the Board addresses.
It was also very gratifying to deepen existing connections and
develop new ones with fellow members. What I learned was, first
of all, the process by which the Division pursues its mission of
advocating on behalf of men and boys. Through the work of the Board,
the Division is responding to new opportunities to inform public,
governmental, clinical, and academic spheres about the ways in
which boys’ and men’s emotional and physical health are affected
by constricting role definitions. As Secretary, I also became more
familiar with the workings of APA, developing connections with
staff members and learning how to coordinate important Division
efforts with APA policy.

I look forward to working with Larry Beer this year, my predecessor
and mentor as Secretary; and next year with Mark Stevens, a Southern
California neighbor and, along with Glenn Good, pivotal in fostering
my interest in men and masculinity and in my joining Division 51.
I have now been a member for almost a decade, and, as so many have
said, experienced a remarkable sense of ease and welcome among
its membership. If reelected, I will continue to serve the Division,
continue to learn new ways to serve, and continue in my commitment
to give something back.

Board Member at Large

Matt Englar-Carlson, Ph.D.

I am running for Board Member at Large as way to continue to serve
the
APA division that is my professional home. Members of D51 are my
mentors, colleagues, and friends and I am motivated to contribute
to the
governance of the division.

Over the past seven years I have been an active division member,
serving
on the Editorial Board for The Psychology of Men and Masculinity,
as a
member of the working group to develop practice guidelines for
working
with boys and men, as D51 program chair for the Washington Conference,
and currently as the D51 representative to the APA Divisions of
Social
Justice. My education includes graduate degrees in health psychology,
counselor education and a doctorate in counseling psychology from
Pennsylvania State University. I am currently faculty member in
counseling at California State University- Fullerton.

Whereas I marvel at the work of this division, there are challenges
ahead. As a smaller division, we need to attract new student and
professional members yet maintain the intimate and supportive character
of D51. The division can further embrace masculinities by reaching
out
to colleagues in Divisions 35, 44 and 45 to diversify our membership.
Second, I believe that D51 can expand its role within APA and among
other mental health professionals so that D51 is viewed as the
focal
point for information about healthy boys, men and positive models
of
masculinity. In that sense the Division can actively highlight
and
support the direct service efforts of members in their own communities.

Gary R. Brooks

Healthy organizations require both vitality and continuity. Without
new members and new ideas, organizations become stale and lifeless.
Without continuity, they lose commitment to their most basic ideals
and purposes. I am once again seeking election to a Member-At-Large
position in SPSMM because I believe I have a long-term perspective
of our history and our mission, as well as a reasonably high level
of vitality to carry out our work. Over our ten-plus years, we
have forged a unique identity within APA as both a scholarly and
a compassionate division. We have presented insightful new perspectives
about masculinity, as well provided exciting new opportunities
for relationships and interactions. I am extremely proud to have
been part of this division’s past and I am deeply committed to
seeing its influence broaden within the larger psychological community.

Our Division has established a solid membership base, but can
easily expand its numbers without sacrificing its ideological principles.
We would be richly rewarded, I believe, if we made a concerted
effort to establish men’s studies interest groups within all regional
and state psychological associations. Because our scholarship is
eagerly received in academic settings, we need to continue attracting
new members from psychology (and other) graduate programs. Our
ideas of new masculinity seem especially fresh in many international
settings and could easily stimulate multiple affiliate memberships
from a wide geographical arena.

As I have noted previously, I think we need to continue the push
to integrate our work with that of APA Divisions representing more
marginalized groups – women, persons-of-color, gay/lesbian/bisexuals.
Just as we invite membership into our division, we need to encourage
our members to join and participate in Divisions 35, 44, and 45
in their efforts to counter sexism, racism, and heterosexism.

Finally, we need to continue to exert our influence within APA
and the larger mental health community. Over the past few years,
our members have developed or supported vital activities such as
the “Teaching of Men’s Studies” CE Workshop, the “Country Boys”
PBS program, the Mark Stevens therapy with men video, the therapy
with men handbook, the “men and depression” NIMH Project, the SAMSA
investigation of masculinity and alcohol abuse, and the vitally
important new “guidelines for therapy with boys and men” project.
By continuing to provide expertise for these projects, our division
will further its mission of reshaping the interaction between men
and the mental health community.

Over the past fifteen years, SPSMM has been a central aspect of
my personal and professional identity. My commitment to this work
will continue, regardless of its formal or informal status.

Member-at-Large (Woman)

Joan I Rosenberg, PhD

I am honored to be considered as a nominee for the Member-at-Large
position in Division 51. Though new to Division 51, I am quite
familiar with the issues and concerns of men and women regarding
(our) respective and complex gendered experiences. I have been
a psychologist since1986 and currently have primary responsibilities
as a core faculty member in the doctoral program in Clinical Psychology
at Phillips Graduate Institute; I also maintain a small private
practice in west Los Angeles.

Gender issues from both men’s and women’s perspectives have always
been an important part of my career. As an instructor I have taught
courses with gender as the organizing focus of the course, or as
a central experience to be considered in other courses (e.g. as
part of a sequence of Diversity or practica courses). Likewise,
I have either chaired or served as a committee member for several
dissertations (e.g. exploring gender role strain with African American
men) and doctoral projects (e.g. addressing metrosexuality in the
context of multiple masculinities) with gender as the central component
of the investigation. As a clinician, I similarly attend to gendered
issues.

I have been serving as a board member for many years in Division
II (Education and Training) of the California Psychological Association
and also as part of the California Psychological Association Foundation
board – both of these organizations are committed to training multiculturally
competent practitioners. Consequently, my professional work (teaching,
clinical practice, professional service) has always been concerned
with sensitively keeping all of our diverse experiences, as men
and women, and our multiply intersecting identities in focus.

I look forward to the opportunity to be of service at a national
level and would be honored to serve as the Member-at-Large for
Division 51. I welcome and appreciate your support.
Holly Sweet

I am a psychologist in private practice in Brookline MA, a lecturer
at MIT, and co-founder of the Cambridge Center for Gender Relations,
a consulting firm which specializes in improving personal and professional
relationships between men and women through non-blaming and experiential
approaches. I have been an active member of Division 51 since its
inception, and helped found and am now co-chair of the Massachusetts
Psychological Association’s Special Interest Group on Men and Boys.
I have spoken at numerous APA conventions about working clinically
with men, have run CEU workshops in Massachusetts about the topic
of men and depression, and received Division 51’s Practitioner
of the Year Award last year.

I am currently interested in finding ways to establish great connection
with other divisions at APA (particularly Division 35) and in creating
greater public awareness of men’s issues, particularly undiagnosed
and untreated depression in men and its impact on men’s relationships
with others. I would like to see a greater alliance between clinicians
and researchers in the area of treating men clinically, especially
men from different ethnic, racial, and cultural backgrounds. Finally,
I would like to see Division 35 and 51 work together on a joint
project this year on a topic of mutual interest such as the impact
of traditional gender roles on relationships or couples counseling.